1. FIELD OF THE INVENTION
The present invention relates to a tanning screen which is impermeable to light in the visible spectrum, but which passes light within the UV-A band. The screen enables a user to expose the entire body to UV-A, or tanning rays of the sun, while concealing private parts of the body from onlookers.
2. DESCRIPTION OF THE PRIOR ART
Devices for enabling sunbathing while providing a measure of protection from onlookers and from undesirable light are known in the prior art. Patents illustrative of those incorporating a selectively light permeable material include U.S. Pat. Nos. 2,295,402, issued to Henry W. Hildebrand on Sep. 8, 1942; 4,798,427, issued to John Sear on Jan. 17, 1989; and 5,066,082, issued to Eric Longstaff on Nov. 19, 1991. The first of these references teaches a fully enclosed structure having a controlled environment. Cellulosic material is disclosed as providing selective passage of light for sunbathing, and furthermore teaches adding unspecified pigments for exclusion of undesirable wavelengths.
Sear '427 and Longstaff '082 provide more detailed description of specific materials which provide desired selective passage of the various wavelengths, and illustrate apparatuses employing the disclosed materials. These apparatuses include umbrellas, self-supported, free standing planar panels supported on a rectangular frame having four legs, and in one embodiment, a sun visor worn on the head.
A self-supported, stand alone sun screen is seen in U.S. Pat. No. 1,654,874, issued to Luigi Gussalli on Jan. 3, 1928. A corrugated element passes only light impinging substantially normally thereto, thereby preventing onlookers from observing a sunbather from an angle to the perpendicular to the screen. The screen is supported from a central point, and stands on a tripod or the like.
U.S. Pat. No. 2,445,622, issued to Ida B. Lewk on Jul. 20, 1948, discloses a similar device, and further includes a medium which passes ultraviolet light while excluding visible light. Lewk '622 provides a rigid frame extending along the periphery of the light transmitting panels and having legs.
Partial enclosures surrounding a sunbather while permitting entry of sunlight are seen in U.S. Pat. Nos. 1,669,484, issued to Charles W. Mowry on May 15, 1928; 3,670,750, issued to Edward W. Johnston on Jun. 20, 1972; and 5,085,212, issued to Sandra D. DeCosta on Feb. 4, 1992. These devices are open at the top to sunlight, and include tall lateral walls to provide privacy. Frames and legs penetrating the ground are shown in these patents.
Screens adapted for cooperation with a sunbathing chair, such as a chaise lounge, are also known. U.S. Pat. Nos. Des. 90,866, issued to Conrad Bielecky on Oct. 17, 1933, and 160,368, issued to Lorenzo R. Centerbar on Oct. 10, 1950, both illustrate screens or the like for a chaise lounge or a reclining chair. Bielecky '866 provides a fabric screen covering the head portion only of a chaise lounge, and Centerbar '368 provides a rigid tray projecting from an arm rest.
None of the above inventions and patents, taken either singly or in combination, is seen to describe the instant invention as claimed.